


Secret Relationship

by Tarlan



Series: Romancing McShep [8]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, Community: romancingmcshep, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Trope Bingo Round 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 03:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3341690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney makes up a fake relationship with John only to wish it was real.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Relationship

**Author's Note:**

> **romancingmcshep** Day 12  
>  **trope_bingo** : fake relationship

When Rodney walked in on Lorne and Parrish kissing, and not just kissing but kissing passionately, with tongues, he wasn't sure who was the most shocked. Parrish was stammering and Lorne looked as if he'd seen something far worse than a Wraith Queen. Both went pale and then flushed, matching Rodney's embarrassment no doubt.

"Doctor McKay... Please don't report us," Parrish begged, and that was when the shock of discovery turned to nausea.

He was stunned that either Parrish or Lorne could think him capable of such a homophobic and malicious reaction.

"What? No! Why would I...?" He could see they were not truly convinced of his good intentions. "Why would I when I'm... in-a-relationship-with-colonel-Sheppard."

Lorne straightened and the hard distance in his eyes began to soften in confusion. He frowned, casting quick glances at Parrish, who was looking slightly stunned at Rodney's words, but Rodney could see relief in both their eyes at his proclamation.

"I thought you and Doctor Keller were... I wasn't aware that you and the Colonel were..." Lorne straightened, clearing his throat. "Your secret is safe with us, Doctor."

"Yes, well. Carry on. Except, no. Don't carry on with..." He waggled his fingers between them, trying to illustrate with hand movements what he couldn't quite bring himself to say aloud.

Rodney turned around and walked away, almost reaching his favorite lab before he realized he'd actually gone to the hydroponics bay for a reason, to see if he could persuade Parrish to part with some nice flowering plant for him to give as a peace offering to Jennifer. They'd had yet another argument where she'd accused him of spending more time with John than with her. He felt guilty because it was true. He and Jennifer had so little in common beyond their love of their work, and Atlantis. Her idea of a fun evening was catching up on American daytime soap operas and romance movies, filled with incredulous and hideously contrived plots.

He'd tolerated them at first because Jennifer would snuggle up against him while she watched. Usually he would simply zone out and run calculations in his head, but she got upset when she realized he wasn't paying attention. He had tried but he'd never been that much of a people person so he couldn't fathom all the drama and melodrama. He'd started finding excuses to come over later in the evening - or not at all - and last night she had called him on it when she caught him sneaking back into his quarters with his race car when he had told her he was working late in the lab.

He half-turned to go back and get the damned plant, but memories of a lip-locked Parrish and Lorne played through his mind and, with a start, he realized he wasn't so much embarrassed by them as jealous of them. Parrish was Lorne's scientist and friend, just like he was John's scientist and friend, and yet Lorne and Parrish had something more between them, something Rodney had refused to admit he wanted too.

He broke it off with Jennifer that evening, deciding it wasn't fair on her to come second to John. She deserved to be the most important person in someone's life, and he couldn't give her that.

Two weeks passed and the incident with Parrish and Lorne was almost forgotten, overshadowed by his feelings for John. He tried not to let it show but quietly treasured every moment he could spend with John, so when John joined him in the cafeteria one afternoon, Rodney didn't think too much of it.

"Hey, Rodney."

"John!" Rodney launched into a tirade of the latest disasters in the lab while John listened with a half-smile as he picked at a muffin and drank his coffee.

When Rodney stopped to inhale some of his own coffee, John finally spoke up, "So, about this secret relationship of ours..."

He waited almost angelically but with an evil smile for Rodney to stop choking and coughing.

"Sheppard. John. I... They thought I was homophobic and it was the first thing I could think of to make them..."

John held up a hand, tight-lipped before speaking. "So it's just a fake relationship you made up to make yourself look less of an ass, and nothing more."

"No! Of course nothing more" He laughed brightly, hoping he didn't sound too hysterical, but he saw John's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"Rodney?" He drew out Rodney's name menacingly, and Rodney crumbled, all too aware of how bad he was at lying and how easily John picked up on it.

"I'm..." he deflated, having no idea what he could say to make amends, except for the truth. "I'm in love with you."

He winced, not sure what to expect but John merely looked at him hard before nodding once.

"Okey-dokey."

Rodney blinked as John continued drinking his coffee as if Rodney hadn't just spilled his guts - metaphorically speaking - and Rodney felt the outrage build.

"That's it? I tell you I love you and all you can say is okey-dokey. What is that supposed to mean, anyway?"

"It means I'm fine with it, Rodney."

"Fine. Fine, how? Fine as in not going to punch me? Or fine as in... as in...?"

John stood up gracefully, leaned over the table until his face was inches from Rodney's, but before Rodney could ask him what he was doing, John leaned those few extra inches and kissed him. He sauntered away leaving Rodney watching him in stunned disbelief. John paused about ten feet away and glanced back, eyebrows rising in a familiar way from so many off-world missions; the look that told him to pick up his feet and move.

Rodney clambered to his feet, haphazardly busing his tray as he followed John out of the cafeteria, taking the first steps to turning their fake relationship into something amazing and very, very real.

END  
.


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